Yellowstone watch: Current earthquake swarm 2nd largest ever recorded

Doomsday Triggers: Yellowstone Earthquake swarm of 2010 (January 17, 2010)

Doomsday Triggers: Yellowstone Earthquake swarm of 2010 (January 17, 2010)

Warning or is the unthinkable about to happen?

Yellowstone National Park has been rattled by more than 250 earthquakes in the past two days following a period of 11 months of quiet seismic activity in the park. The quakes have been gaining strength, with a 3.1 tremor recorded at 11:03 a.m. today. A 2.9 quake was recorded at 12:38 p.m. Prof. Robert B. Smith, a geophysicist at the University of Utah and one of the leading experts on earthquake and volcanic activity at Yellowstone, said that the activity is a "notable swarm." "The swarm is located about 10 miles northwest of Old Faithful, Wyoming, and nine miles southeast of West Yellowstone, Montana," said Smith. Jamie Farrell, a doctoral student in geophysics who works with Smith at the University of Utah, said that as of 3 p.m. today, 270 quakes have been recorded in the past two days. Farrell said the quakes are occurring in an area about 5 miles from where the largest swarm of quakes was ever recorded in October 1985. Quakes in the current swarm have ranged in magnitude of 0.5 to 3.1.

Farrell said there have been reports of at least one of the tremors being felt in the park, but he is expecting more reports as the earthquakes continue. Smith said such swarms are "relatively common." Today's tremors seem to be normal tectonic activity, and is "not an indication" that some sort of volcanic activity will occur. Since 1995 there have been 80 swarms, including the one that started Sunday, Farrell said. Farrell said that there is absolutely no connection between what is occurring in Yellowstone and the magnitude 7.0 earthquake in Haiti. "They are completely different systems," said Farrell. "They are not related." In late December 2008 and early January 2009, Yellowstone National park experienced the second largest earthquake swarm in Yellowstone's recorded seismic history. The swarm under the north end of Yellowstone Lake consisted of 813 earthquakes with magnitudes ranging up to 3.9. The most devastating earthquake in recent history in the Yellowstone region occurred on Aug. 17, 1959, when a magnitude 7.3 earthquake hit. It was centered near Hebgen Lake, Mont., killed 28 people and caused more than $11 million in damage.

Mike Stickney, director of earthquake studies at the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology, said there is no way to predict when the next big one will hit. He said it will likely occur along one of the 45 faults that line two belts - one stretching from Yellowstone National Park up to Helena, Mont., and a second one along the Montana-Idaho border. The Yellowstone Plateau is one of the largest super-volcanoes in the world and has gone through three volcanic cycles spanning two million years, which included some of the world's largest known eruptions. –The Denver Post

See Yellowstone Dangers

Yellowstone National Park hit by swarm of earthquakes | SkyHiDailyNews.com

Yellowstone watch: Current earthquake swarm 2nd largest ever recorded at Park (February 1, 2010)

Why the game may be changing at the world’s deadliest volcano- The largest swarm of earthquakes ever recorded at Yellowstone was in 1985, when more than 3000 struck over a period of 3 months. Now we have seen 1608 earthquakes just since January 17th, which is leading scientists to believe something else may be astir below the caldera. This current earthquake swarm is also more chaotic. “We’re not seeing a pattern that is really discernible yet,” said Henry Heasler, a coordinating scientist for the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory, a joint venture of Yellowstone, the United States Geological Survey and the University of Utah. Dr. Heasler said plans were in place to intensify observations in case the swarm continued for a long time or got larger. “We’re ready to ramp up,” he said, including using flights to monitor the area. Last year’s swarm, beneath northern Yellowstone Lake, had a specific track of alignment, with the earthquakes moving north and growing shallower from the initial quake area, said Robert B. Smith, a professor of geophysics at the University of Utah and a science coordinator at the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory. The mostly smaller quakes in the current swarm, he said, are more like a cloud, with no directional pattern, similar to what scientists saw in a big swarm at the park in 1999. “We think the crust beneath Yellowstone is highly fractured already, so we’re getting stress release in these earthquakes — a displacement of millimeters,” Dr. Smith said. Attention to earthquakes in general has soared since the quake in Haiti. For instance, visits to the United States Geological Survey’s Earthquake Hazards Program Web site increased fivefold after the quake, to more than a million a day, compared with the numbers a month earlier, an agency spokeswoman said. Dr. Heasler said park visitors had been encouraged to help with the research by telling park officials if they felt the ground shake. In the last two weeks, more than 100 mostly tiny earthquakes a day, on average, have rattled a remote area of Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, putting scientists who monitor the park’s strange and volatile geology on alert. –New York Times excerpt

http://scienceblogs.com/eruptions/2010/02/the_yellowstone_earthquake_swa.php

Looking inside the Yellowstone Caldera
(February 4, 2010)
by Erik Klemetti

Looking inside the structure of the Yellowstone Caldera : Eruptions



With all the talk of the current Yellowstone earthquake swarm, I thought it would worth it to write a post on the the structure and caldera - and why we get earthquake swarms that are structurally rather than magmatically-related.

First off, lets think about why calderas formed. This is relatively simple - at least superficially. The land (or volcano) above a magmatic system is partially supported by that magma, especially because magma is hot and buoyant. The isostatic support by the magma holds up the land surface or volcanic edifice, so when an eruption expels a large volume of magma, this support is removed. This collapse forms the caldera - the negative topographic expression of the eruption. The collapse of the land surface plays a dual role - not is it a result of the eruption, but also helps the eruption along, like a piston pushing of hot gas out of a cylinder. After the eruption, the collapsed caldera continues to subside as the isostatic equilibrium is reached. After the caldera-forming eruption {caution, large PDF}, the system may have eruptions that produce resurgent domes in the middle of the caldera as the last dregs of the caldera-forming magmatic system leak out. This is referred to as the "caldera cycle", originally defined by Howell Williams for the collapse of Mt. Mazama ~7,700 years b.p. (see below).

Modified illustration of the caldera cycle by Howell Williams.

The collapse of the caldera produced what is called the "ring fracture," the fracture along the edge of the caldera. This fracture was formed during the collapse, but was then likely also exploited by the erupting magma during the caldera-forming eruption. These fractures then become long lived zones of weakness around the edge of the caldera (see below) - the down-dropped part of the caldera is no longer supported by either the emptied magma chamber or the crust around it.




We can look at the general structure of caldera systems by looking at the Long Valley Caldera (see below). The ring fracture is present on the edge of the Long Valley caldera, with the down-dropped caldera material in the middle - filled in by the tephra from the caldera-forming eruption and resurgent dome material. The caldera may continue to settle for hundreds of thousands of years after the caldera-forming eruption - all happening at depths at or above the current "top" of the magmatic system.


A schematic look at the structure of the Long Valley caldera in California.

If we take a look at historical seismicty around Yellowstone (see below), we can see that quite a bit it is near the ring fracture of the caldera. This means that thesuggested structural source of the current seismicity makes sense - as I've mentioned, the earthquakes in these locations in historic times have not lead to eruptions. In fact, we should expect to see a lot of low scale seismicity along the ring fracture that represents the many faults related to the ring fracture system.


Historic seismicity around Yellowstone Caldera.

However, as zones of weakness, you might expect that magma could exploit the ring fracture to reach the surface. Magma rising would need corroborating evidence, though. Magma doesn't do a good job of disguising its present, especially large volumes. The ground should deform from the additional volume of magma displacing the crust and this displacement with our current methods of measuring ground changes should be detected well in advance of an eruption. We should also expect changes in the hydrothermal system as the hot body of magma moves higher into the system, possibly in the form of new mud pots, geysers or hot pools. The chemistry of springs might change as well, reflecting the input of magmatic components into the water - which goes hand-in-hand with changes in gases being released by the magma. Volatiles like water vapor, CO2, SO2 and He are constantly being released by a cooling, depressuring magma, so we should see the signal of this in the gases being released at Yellowstone, especially by monitoring dissolved gases in springs. The type of earthquakes should also change - not only becoming shallower, but also taking on the classic pattern of harmonic volcanic tremor - the harbinger of moving magma.

YVO monitors many, if not all, of these factors, so we are not likely to be "surprised" by any new eruptions at Yellowstone. While the current earthquake swarm does appear to be getting shallower, you can see how it is part of life at an active caldera system. You can check the current status of the Yellowstone Caldera on the YVO website.

update for seismic activity including the swarm of Jan 22 is here Summary of January - February 2010 Yellowstone Earthquake Swarm

thankfully Yellowstone remains at green

This is an older article but the information about Yellowstone is just as pertinent today as when it was written - all the news about Yellowstone is closely monitored and the websites that offered the layman's observation with pictures are mysteriously disappearing. I ll keep posting whatever I can find in an effort to piece together what little news there is -

-Day


Scientists Closely
Monitoring Yellowstone
ProLiberty.com
12-23-3


Recent eruptions, 200 degree ground temperatures, bulging magma and 84 degree water temperatures prompt heightened srutiny of park's geothermal activity...

BILLINGS, Mont. -- Yellowstone National Park happens to be on top of one of the largest "super volcanoes" in the world. Geologists claim the Yellowstone Park area has been on a regular eruption cycle of 600,000 years. The last eruption was 640,000 years ago making the next one long overdue. This next eruption could be 2,500 times the size of the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption. Volcanologists have been tracking the movement of magma under the park and have calculated that, in parts of Yellowstone, the ground has risen over seventy centimeters this century.

In July, 2003, Yellowstone Park rangers closed the entire Norris Geyser Basin because of deformation of the land and excessive high ground temperatures. There is an area that is 28 miles long by 7 miles wide that has bulged upward over five inches since 1996, and this year the ground temperature on that bulge has reached over 200 degrees (measured one inch below ground level).

There was no choice but to close off the entire area. Everything in this area is dying: The trees, flowers, grass and shrubs. A dead zone is developing and spreading outward. The animals are literally migrating out of the park.

Then during the last part of July one of the Park geologists discovered a huge bulge at the bottom of Yellowstone Lake. The bulge has already risen over 100 feet from the bottom of the lake and the water temperature at the surface of the bulge has reached 88 degrees and is still rising.

Keep in mind that Yellowstone Lake is a high mountain lake with very cold water temperatures. The Lake is now closed to the public. It is filled with dead fish floating everywhere. The same is true of the Yellowstone river and most of the other streams in the Park. Dead and dying fish are filling the water everywhere.

Many of the picnic areas in the Park have been closed and people visiting the Park usually stay but a few hours before leaving since the stench of sulfur is so strong they literally can't stand the smell.

The irony of all this is the silence by the news media and our government. Very little information is available from Yellowstone personnel or publications. What mainstream newsstories do appear underscore the likelihood of a massive volcanic eruption. Though geologists publicly admit Yellowstone is "overdue," they have been quoted as stating another massive magma release may not occur for 100,000 or 2 million years. Others close to the story are convinced that a massive eruption is imminent. A source that has demonstrated first-hand knowledge of the park's history and recent geothermal events stated the following: "The American people are not being told that the explosion of this 'super volcano' could happen at any moment. When Yellowstone does blow, some geologists predict that every living thing within six hundred miles is likely to die. The movement of magma has been detected just three-tenths of a mile below the bulging surface of the ground in Yellowstone raising concerns that this super volcano may erupt soon."


This report was taken from a series of articles, emails and official information
Idaho Observer: Scientists monitoring Yellowstone geologic activity

I found this website which was updated last Feb 4 2010 - please check out the website for a detailed explanation of the earthquake swarms and why people need to be prepared!
YELLOWSTONE SUPERVOLCANO GETTING READY TO BLOW ITS CORK

YELLOWSTONE SUPERVOLCANO GETTING READY TO BLOW ITS CORK

updated 2-4-10

compiled by Dee Finney

2010 - Beginning last Sunday, there have been over 1,000 earthquakes registered at Yellowstone
Super Volcano. The largest of the series measured at 3.8 magnitude. If they reach the 4.0+
magnitude, it will most likely call for increased cautionary monitoring and perhaps a call
for public 'watch!"

YELLOWSTONE SUPERVOLCANO GETTING READY TO BLOW ITS CORK

YELLOWSTONE: THE VULCAN AND COMET CONNECTION
By Dr. Barry M. Warmkessel and Dr. Herbert W. Kuehne
With Support From Lawrence P. Giver, Sonja M. Kawamoto and Jane Yin
© Copyright: 26 January 2004 New Calculations 3 October 2004


abstract
Extrapolation of past B comet swarm impacts imply future impacts ~2028 and ~2128. Impacts/near misses are predicted by dual sources around 2006-7, 2011-13, 2015-16, 2030-31, 2044-45, 2071-76 and 2120-30. Two past eruptions of the Yellowstone supervolcano correlate with major impacts. A future eruption is anticipated around 2044-45 following a major comet impact. Geomagnetic changes, crustal shifts and major landslides in volcanic islands (e.g. Hawaii) may occur coincidently. An Ice Age is expected to follow the impacts causing drought and the demise of three-quarters of mankind. Vulcan's mass is found to be 0.05% solar mass, commensurate with the (alien supplied?) value found in the 4500 year old Akkadian seal

read full article with maps and diagrams: YELLOWSTONE: THE VULCAN AND COMET CONNECTION

Utah and Yellowstone earthquake watch

Recent Earthquakes in the Intermountain West
Utah and Yellowstone Region

keep watch link: Recent Earthquakes in the Intermountain West - Index Map

Добрый день всем, кто на этом форуме! Я плохо знаю английский язык, так что извините, буду писать на своём. Кому интересно, пользуйтесь переводчиками. Спасибо за понимание.
Я наблюдаю за вулканами и солнечной активностью уже давно. И многие учёные уже начинают связывать солнечную и земную активность. Из этого следует, что пик солнечной активности, который прийдёт на 2011 - 2013 год может сильно повлиять на активность Йеллоустонского вулкана. Что будет дальше не знает никто, но мне кажется нужно быть готовыми к любым вариантам. Спасибо за внимание.

Mari1980 said:

Добрый день всем, кто на этом форуме! Я плохо знаю английский язык, так что извините, буду писать на своём. Кому интересно, пользуйтесь переводчиками. Спасибо за понимание.
Я наблюдаю за вулканами и солнечной активностью уже давно. И многие учёные уже начинают связывать солнечную и земную активность. Из этого следует, что пик солнечной активности, который прийдёт на 2011 - 2013 год может сильно повлиять на активность Йеллоустонского вулкана. Что будет дальше не знает никто, но мне кажется нужно быть готовыми к любым вариантам. Спасибо за внимание.

Click to expand...

Good day by all, who on this forum! I badly know English, so that you will excuse, I will write on its. To whom it is interesting, use translators. Thanks for the understanding.
I control volcanoes and solar activity already long ago. And many scientists already begin to connect solar and terrestrial activity. Hence it follows that the peak of solar activity, which [priydet] during the years 2011 - 2013 can strongly influence the activity of Yellowstone volcano. Which will be further he knows no one, but me it seems necessary to be ready to any versions. Thanks for the attention.

Mari1980 said:

Добрый день всем, кто на этом форуме! Я плохо знаю английский язык, так что извините, буду писать на своём. Кому интересно, пользуйтесь переводчиками. Спасибо за понимание.
Я наблюдаю за вулканами и солнечной активностью уже давно. И многие учёные уже начинают связывать солнечную и земную активность. Из этого следует, что пик солнечной активности, который прийдёт на 2011 - 2013 год может сильно повлиять на активность Йеллоустонского вулкана. Что будет дальше не знает никто, но мне кажется нужно быть готовыми к любым вариантам. Спасибо за внимание.

Click to expand...

google translater:
Good day to all who on this forum! I do not know English, so sorry, I'll write in his. Who cares, use translators. Thank you for your understanding.
I watch the volcanoes and solar activity is long overdue. And many scientists are beginning to link the solar and terrestrial activity. From this it follows that the peak of solar activity, which will come in 2011 - 2013 year can greatly affect the activity of the Yellowstone volcano. What will happen nobody knows, but I think we should be prepared for any options. Thank you for your attention.


Hi and welcome to the forum -- Thank you for posting this information about Yellowstone- I agree ithat while we dont know what is going to happen its prudent to keep watch

-looking forward to your next posting

State of Alert for Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone Alert Youtube channel --excellent information

http://www.youtube.com/user/YellowstoneAlert

Yellowstone alert video

By David Kelly, Times Staff Writer

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. &Mac247; Far below the blue waters of Yellowstone Lake, a mysterious dome 2,100 feet across and 100 feet high is causing concern among scientists and citizens who don't know whether it's a harmless curiosity or a hazard on the verge of exploding.

The dome, also called a bulge or an elevated plain, is less than a mile from shore and was recently explored by researchers with the U.S. Geological Survey, using unmanned submarines and sonar. "It could be the precursor to a hydrothermal explosion," said Lisa Morgan, a geologist leading the team. "It's a pretty significant feature."

for full article : Steve Quayle News Alerts